Originally from Oklahoma, where he started reading sf at in 1928 at age 8. He found fandom through the letter columns of Wonder in the early 30s where he started a correspondence with Don Wollheim. He lived in DC during the War and later moved to the Pacific Northwest before retiring to Albuquerque.

By inventing the John Bristol persona he perpetrated one of the more successful hoaxes in the history of fandom. He was also known by the nicknames Juffus and the Hily Magnified Woggle-Bug

Jack was born in Comanche, Oklahoma. He became a lawyer and after WWII, he began practicing law in Washington State, where he was active in the Democratic Party and served a term in the State House of Representatives. He later moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. He continued to practice law and served two terms as the judge of the Bernalillo County Small Claims Court.

An obituary by Jon D. Swartz appeared in the New Series #18, 3rd quarter, 2008, issue of Scientifiction -- The First Fandom Report. Speer was also the subject of a Founding Members article by Swartz in the July, 2017 issue of The National Fantasy Fan (Volume 76, Number 7).

Reading:

Read his short history Up To Now for Jack Speer on early fandom — and on Jack Speer